Fastener.



L. REITER.

PASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13,1912.

1,089,366, Patented Mar.3,1914.

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nnrnn STATES rgrunr OFFICE.

LUES REITER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO RAU FASTENER COMPANY, OF

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

FASTENER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Luns REITER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the socket portion of fasteners of that class known as snap fasteners employed in fastening gloves, suspender ends, and other articles that are desired to be releasably connected together by a stud entering a spring socket member.

The object of my invention is to provid such a socket member designed to be constructed by the minimum number of operations, and of the minimum amount of stock, also one whose arms or prongs are few and comparatively large and spaced apart throughout their length whereby they may work independent of each other with the maximum resiliency and holding power and at the same time be produced at the minimum manufacturing cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collar whose outer surface is grooved circularly and through which collar the ends of the prongs are passed and bent from its inner edge outward leaving a space between them and the inner edge of the collar, the ends being then bent over and downward in a loop form to rest in said groove and against the surface of the collar thereby providing a plurality of comparatively wide independently acting spring arms having a three point engagement with the maximum yielding and gripping power.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de scribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a greatly enlarged view of my improved socket in section showing the same as attached to the goods. Fig. 2 is a view from the underside of the device with a portion of the goods to which it is attached. Fig. 3 shows the metal strip after the blanks have been cut therefrom illustrating the small amount of waste. Fig. 4- shows a detail of one of the blanks after being cut from the strip. Fig. 5 shows the blank with the prongs drawn upward from its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1912.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914. Serial No. 683,552.

rear edge. Fig. 6 shows the base of the prongs as bent outward from the inwardly turned edge of the front plate ready to be passed through the goods and the collar bent outward thereover. Fig. 7- is a detail of the collar slightly in perspective. Fig. 8- 1s a sectional view of the collar showing the annular groove in its outer face. Fig. 9 shows the stud which is adapted to engage the socket member.

In carrying out my invention it is found that the most economical and advantageous results are obtained by making the blank in substantially a triangular form, see Figs. 3 and 4-, whereby in punching it from the strip the position of every alternate blank is reversed, that is, the base of one triangle is to the right, and the next to the left and so on alternating, thereby permitting the blanks to be cut from a very narrow strip and leaving almost no waste between the edges of the blanks. The general form of the strip showing the amount of waste after the blanks are cut therefrom is illustrated in Fig. 3. While the blank is in a general triangular form yet it comprises essentially a circular body portion 2 having three outwardly projecting prongs 4 equally spaced apart about said body. After the blanks are thus cut from the strip they are bent up substantially in the form illustrated. in Fig. 5 providing a front plate 5 preferably in a circular form and swaged into a concavoconvex shape. Then the base of the prongs are set inward, as illustrated in Fig. 6, forming an annular flange or head portion 6 around the periphery of the front plate and the body of the prongs are bent inward on a curve, the socket then being ready to be set in operative position. I have also provided a collar 7 having a central annular groove 8 in its outer surface.

In applying my improved socket member to a piece of material 10 a hole is first punched through the material, the grooved collar 7 placed on the back of the same, the prongs of the socket member passed through the hole and through the collar, the ends of the prongs are turned outward on a long sweeping curve and the points 11 bent clownward to engage the annular groove and rest lightly against the surface of the collar, pains being taken in bending the prongs so that they will not engage the inner edge of the collar but will stand a short distance off therefrom, as illustrated at 9 in Fig. 1, whereby they will be permitted to spring outward freely and not be bound by the collar when the stud head enters.

An essential feature of my improved construction is that the socket member is provided with three comparatively wide prongs the same being spaced apart throughout their length so they may act independently 110 of each other and not be bound by contact J with the adjacent arms, the spaces between the prongs at their base being substantially equal to the width of the prongs at the same place. By this construction the prongs have a very broad base and are very strong and durable and provide the maximum amount of spring or resiliency and at the same time have an extremely firm binding and gripping action on the head 12 of the stud 18 20 when engaging the same. In other words, by my improved construction I obtain three important advantages, first, by providing three points to the blank I am enabled to cut the same in a substantially triangular form whereby the greatest economy is obtained in cutting the same from a strip of material, that is the waste is reduced to the very minimum, the stock required for such an operation being about one-half of that required for a blank having four or more prongs. Second, by this construction I am enabled to draw the same into the desired shape by the minimum number of operations, saving at least two operations over constructions having a greater number of prongs; third, it is found in practice that by forming the same with three prongs these prongs are very broad at their base, engage the stud head at three distinct points and by being spaced apart throughout their length they work freely and independently and so provide strong yet readily yieldable arms that are adapted to readily receive the head of the stud and yet will grip and bind and retain the same firmly in its grasp.

A further object of the invention is that of providing a collar with an annular groove into which the points or ends of the prongs are bent whereby the collar is held in its central position by the engagement of the points alone of the prongs and at the same time permitting the prongs to yield freely when the head of the stud passes into and .out of the socket.

I claim:

A socket member for fasteners comprising a central face plate, three prongs only, equally spaced from each other and placed symmetrically about the periphery of said face plate, and a collar having a groove in one face thereof surrounding said prongs, the inner periphery of said collar being spaced from said prongs whereby the latter may have lateral movement therein, the tips of said prongs being bent outwardly and backwardly into the groove in said collar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUES REITER. /Vitnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLow, E. I. OGDEN.

Copies of 1:111: patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

